Dwyer, Dixie Lynn - For the Love of Anna (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by For the Love of Anna

  Stacy pulled away a little and wiped her eyes.

  “She’s hurt bad. I don’t know the gist of it, but her injuries are bad. She hasn’t had any medical attention. She refused, but I did convince her to let Charlie look at her.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “I think her father had something to do with it.”

  “Motherfucker!”

  “Exactly. But she won’t tell. All she said was that she was alive.”

  The tears flowed again, and Eric pulled her close again.

  “Where is she now?”

  “She’s taking a shower. I told her I would get Charlie, but I think it’s gonna be awkward. She won’t talk about what happened, so we’ll have to let Charlie know ahead of time.”

  “No need, Stacy. I heard.”

  They both looked toward the doorway, where Charlie and his brother Ben now stood.

  “Well, why don’t we make some lunch. That way, when Anna comes down, she won’t feel uncomfortable,” Eric suggested.

  “That’s a good idea. Who knows when she ate last. She seemed real weak and exhausted. I don’t think she’s slept since she left New York, but it’s just a feeling,” Stacy added, and when she looked at the men, they all had scowls on their faces.

  “Please don’t scare her, fellas.”

  * * * *

  Anna felt a lot better after the shower. The scent of the men was nearly eliminated from her nostrils. It had been tricky and a bit painful to raise her arms and wash her hair, but she was determined to get it done herself. Even the water hitting her body caused pain. Her stomach growled, and she recalled the last time she ate anything. She was on the plane in coach and had a handful of peanuts and a soda. It was the last flight out to Texas, and from there, she took a bus. It had been a long journey of thinking about her life and what could have happened. The tears stung her eyes. Her father sold her without a bat of the eye.

  She put on the T-shirt and lounge pants that Stacy had given her. Of course, they were too big and too long. She opted for the pair of shorts instead. Stacy was five foot six, and Anna was five foot two. The one thing they had in common was their abundant breast size, so at least the top had room and the bra fit well.

  Glancing at herself in the mirror, she felt as terrible as she looked.

  “Car accident, my ass,” she whispered and laughed, remembering Stacy’s words.

  She didn’t want to bring trouble to their doorstep. Would the men come looking to claim her for the money her father owed? The men seemed dead set on keeping her for themselves. A chill ran through her body.

  She hoped that the scratch across her breast wouldn’t scar. It was bad enough that the memories of his touch would surely remain forever.

  She grabbed the sweatshirt Stacy left her and put it on. There was bruising on her arms, her neck, shoulders…everywhere. Stacy seemed to trust this Charlie guy, so she had no choice but to trust him, too. Just as long as she didn’t have to go to a hospital or see the sheriff.

  Taking a deep breath, she slowly headed downstairs.

  * * * *

  “There you are! I was getting worried about you,” Stacy stated as she headed toward Anna, leading her into the kitchen. Anna halted at the sight of the very large men in the kitchen. They stared at her, and she turned away.

  “I’m not really that hungry. Maybe I’ll just lie down a while,” Anna said and tried to step away. Stacy firmly held her arm.

  “Nonsense! When was the last time you ate?”

  Anna shrugged her shoulders.

  “Sit down here, honey, and make a sandwich before Charlie and Ben eat it all,” Eric teased then smiled.

  “We wouldn’t do that, Eric,” Charlie stated as he took a bite of his sandwich and winked at Anna. She listened as they teased one another, and she tried to force herself to relax a little. The other two men were gorgeous. Shaking like a leaf, she took the seat farthest away from the men. Every so often, she saw them watching her.

  * * * *

  Anna was a tiny thing, and Charlie could tell by the looks of the bruising on her cheeks and neck that they were very recent and not from a car accident. A feeling of protectiveness came over him. A glance at his brother Ben and he could tell he felt the same sensation. Ben’s knuckles were white as he held the mug of iced tea. Lots of questions went through Charlie’s head, but he knew he had to be gentle with Anna. Stacy felt that whatever happened was traumatic, and seeing Anna, he agreed.

  She remained quiet and picked at her food. The bruising and cuts looked new, and his gut said they were days old. He noticed her hands shook and her coloring was poor. Instinct told him she was weak, probably fatigued from not eating and not getting treatment for her injuries. The fact that she sat so far away from them and cringed each time they spoke concerned him. If she was going to let him check her injuries, he’d have to help her relax a little. He decided to try and get her more comfortable with him.

  “I’m a veterinarian and medic around here. I take care of all the livestock and the humans as well,” he stated with a smile.

  He watched as Anna nibbled on her bottom lip but didn’t reply.

  “Charlie here has a gentle touch. He’s real good at healing animals and people,” Ben stated with a smile, but Anna glanced his way, then turned toward Stacy, who rose from her chair.

  When they were finished with lunch, Stacy and Eric began cleaning up.

  “Anna, will you let me take a look at your injuries? Stacy is real worried about you.” Charlie tried to remain calm. The truth was that he was scared out of his mind to see what injuries had been inflicted upon this beautiful, delicate young woman.

  Despite the bruises, she was gorgeous, and the fact that she had them caused a knot in his chest.

  “Of course she is going to let you look her over. She promised me,” Stacy stated and eyed Anna.

  “I’m really all right. I don’t want to be a bother, and I think if I take a few aspirin I should be fine.”

  Charlie touched Anna’s hand. “I promise it will be all right.”

  He was drawn to her large brown eyes. His insides quivered, and his crotch grew tight at the attraction.

  Anna seemed to feel it as well as she lowered her long, dark lashes and pulled her hand away. She placed them on her lap and remained still.

  “Anna, you promised me that Charlie could have a look. He won’t hurt you. I swear he’ll be gentle, and if you don’t want him to continue, he’ll stop. I want to be sure you’re okay, honey,” Stacy pleaded as she kneeled by her chair.

  Anna whispered something to Stacy that Charlie couldn’t hear.

  Stacy smiled. “He’s big, I know. All the men around here are, honey, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hurt you,” Stacy whispered, then stood up from the table. Her voice had cracked, and she quickly turned away.

  Charlie was angry at the thought that Anna was scared of his size and scared that any of them would cause her harm. There was a man involved with this, a dead man if he ever met him.

  “I’ll grab my bag and be back in a minute,” Charlie stated as he and Ben headed outside.

  * * * *

  Charlie took his bag off the bench on the front porch where he’d left it. He didn’t want to bring it into the kitchen earlier and scare Anna.

  “I want to know who hurt her, who put that fear in her eyes,” Ben stated from behind Charlie.

  “I know, Ben. So do I, but you see how scared she is. She was shaking the whole time we were in the kitchen with her. I’ve got a real bad feeling.”

  “You think she’s on the run from trouble?”

  “What do you think?”

  Ben was silent a moment as he looked out toward the fields.

  “I think I want to protect her and keep her safe. She’s beautiful, Charlie. She could be the one we’ve been waiting for.”

  “I know. Let me examine her and see how bad it is. Then we’ll work at getting her to trust us.”

  “I’ll stay nearby in case you need a
nything.”

  Charlie smiled as he entered the house.

  If Ben was feeling the attraction to Anna as he was, then he wouldn’t want to be far from her. Charlie knew that one day they would get their wish and find their woman just like Max and Eric found Stacy. They wanted that, too. He, Ben, and Wyatt knew that one day they would find a woman to share. They each wanted the same thing. They wanted a wife and a family. They each had learned through casual sex that something was missing. They each individually demanded control and submission in the bedroom, but together, making love to one woman was their dream. They had shared one woman once, and it hadn’t worked out. She had been in it for fun, but there were no real connections between the four of them. It would take a very special woman to be able to handle their sexual appetites as well as love them and accept them as a package deal.

  They had grown up in Pearl just as their parents had. From a young age, their parents told them they each had a choice to make when it came to love. No one pushed them either way.

  They had started off with separate lives that eventually led them together on the Triple C. Charlie had gone off to war, wanting to do his part in the fight against terrorism. That had put quite the damper on his relationship with Wyatt and Ben. Ben downright told him off the day Charlie shipped out. Charlie smirked at the thought. When he had finally returned from the war, injuries and all, his brothers were there for him as if he had never left.

  Their bond was strong, and one night, after years of one-night stands and discussions over sharing a woman, they gave it a try.

  The sex was incredible, but the connection with the woman was all wrong. It was frustrating and complicated because Ben liked the woman and he and Wyatt didn’t share the same feelings. That’s when they realized that if they were going to share, then they would all have to be attracted to the woman and feel a connection immediately. It wasn’t solely about sex. It was about love, emotion, and a feeling of completion. He could only hope that Anna could possibly be the one.

  Anna was definitely a possibility. The simple fact that he and Ben felt the need to protect and comfort her was a step toward achieving their dream. It would take Wyatt’s acceptance of Anna and a shared attraction for her to be their mate.

  * * * *

  Charlie placed his medical bag on the bed as Anna stood straight and stiff in front of him. He tried to make her feel comfortable, but it seemed to him that she was still very scared.

  He towered over her, and he remembered her fear in the kitchen and that his size added to her discomfort.

  He smiled, and she nibbled on her bottom lip. He had noticed that Anna did that when she was nervous. She was adorable, but he did his best to act professionally and not think about the attraction he felt. It was becoming increasingly difficult the more he thought about what her body would look like without the clothes.

  He swallowed hard, then cleared his throat.

  “Why don’t we start off slow? I’m going to take your blood pressure and then your temperature. I’ll listen to your heartbeat, and then we’ll take a look at your injuries. How does that sound?”

  “Okay,” she whispered, and her voice cracked. It was hoarse and rough.

  “Come have a seat here.” He patted the bed, and she slowly sat down. He noted her contorted expression. She was obviously in pain.

  Her hands shook as he took her blood pressure.

  “It’s a bit high, but that’s understandable when you’re stressed and in pain.”

  “I’m all right, really,” she whispered, her voice low. His stomach cramped at how appealing she was without her even knowing it.

  “So you keep saying. Why not let me be the judge…for Stacy’s peace of mind?”

  She nodded her head.

  Charlie placed his hand against her cheek and instantly felt the warmth penetrate his skin. Anna stared up at him with big, brown, sad eyes like that of an injured doe. His chest tightened at the thought that even his touch put fear in her. Her skin was soft and supple. He wanted to caress it and pull her to him into an embrace, but he knew he couldn’t. Not now. He lifted his hand then pressed gently against her forehead. She felt warm to his touch. He smiled, trying to reassure her that she was safe with him, but Anna immediately looked down to the rug to avoid his gaze.

  Reaching back to his bag, he retrieved a thermometer. He took her temperature. The minutes that passed brought an awkward silence between them. He focused on her beauty and the need he saw in her eyes earlier, and his groin tightened. He tried to think of something to say, but Anna had yet to respond to any of his questions with anything other than a nod of her head. He removed the thermometer and found she had a low-grade fever.

  “You have a fever, honey. More than likely, it’s from the injuries and pain you don’t have,” he stated then winked. He felt the chuckle catch in his throat as he looked at her.

  She stared at him as if trying to read his mind. She looked untrusting, unsure, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. How could he convince her that she was safe here and with him?

  He rose from the bed and held his hand out to her.

  “Now let’s take a look at the injuries.”

  He examined her cheeks, her chin, and then her eyes. He tried not to touch the injured skin, but he couldn’t help but trace the finger marks and bruising with his own hands. He knew immediately what the true culprit was. The hands that did the damage were as big as his.

  His insides tightened at the pain inflicted upon her, and he wanted to know who had done it. He tried breathing slowly and remained calm for Anna’s sake.

  “These are going to get a bit uglier I’m afraid. Did you ice them after the…accident?” he asked, and she shook her head.

  He touched her neck and gently tilted her chin up. It didn’t take a doctor to see that a large hand had made the marks. Someone held her by the throat. No wonder her voice sounded rough and she clenched her eyes when she swallowed too hard. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his anger.

  “You don’t have to do this. I know it looks bad. I’ll live,” she whispered, her voice sounding worse the more she spoke.

  He smiled and was taken aback by her concern over how he might take looking at her wounds. The sweet thing, if she only knew the thoughts that were going through his head right now. They weren’t pretty, and he wished the bastard who did this was standing here right now.

  He gently caressed her chin, then softly rubbed his thumb across her lip. He was careful not to get too close to the cut there.

  “You’re beautiful, Anna, and I’m not cringing at you. I’m angry with whoever did this to you.”

  She turned her eyes away from him as best as she could. He released her chin.

  Standing in front of her, he looked at the bruising on her arms. There were obvious finger and hand marks. Someone really roughed her up.

  “Anna, you’re going to have to take off your shirt.”

  She inhaled and took a step backward. Her face looked flushed, and he could see beads of sweat across her forehead.

  She teetered in place a moment, and he reached for her.

  “Anna, are you okay?” he asked. Then he saw her take a step to the side, and her eyes began to roll a little. Immediately, he pulled her to him as she passed out.

  * * * *

  Charlie picked her up and carried her to the bed. She was light and soft. She felt perfect in his arms. He wanted to protect her and care for her and, mostly, make her smile. He was shocked at his thoughts.

  Touching her forehead, she remained warm. He hoped that her fever wouldn’t get worse. Perhaps it was from the slight rattling in her chest he heard as he listened with the stethoscope. Or maybe it was from her injuries.

  Slowly, he pushed her shirt up and cursed at the sight.

  “Motherfucker!”

  “What?” he heard Stacy say from the doorway. He hadn’t even heard her open the door.

  He carefully pulled Anna’s shirt down.

  “She passed out. She ha
s a fever.”

  “Oh, my God! Will she be okay? She won’t go to a hospital. If I call an ambulance, she’ll freak when she wakes up. What do I do?” Stacy covered her mouth and began to cry.

  “I think you should go back downstairs, Stacy. I’m confident that I can help her. If she gets any worse, we’ll have to bring her to the hospital. Promises or not, I want to do what’s best for her,” Charlie stated.

  “Come on, Stacy, Charlie can take care of her. He knows what he’s doing,” Eric added.

  “No. She needs me. I can protect her now that she’s here. I won’t leave her again.”

  “Honey, listen to Charlie. He’ll come get us if he thinks she needs to go to the hospital,” Eric replied, trying to calm her. Charlie locked gazes with his cousin, and it was as if Eric understood that this was more serious than Anna let on.

  “Please take care of her, Charlie.”

  “Come on, Stacy,” Eric whispered, taking her hand and leading her toward the door.

  Ben now stood there as well.

  Stacy and Eric went back into the kitchen.

  “Do you need anything?” Ben asked.

  “Yeah, actually, I could use your help. This is going to be difficult with her sleeping.”

  Ben stood next to the bed just staring at Anna.

  “She looks so small and fragile,” he whispered.

  “She’s special, Ben, I won’t let her leave here. We need to protect her.”

  Ben leaned down and caressed her skin. Charlie watched as his brother noticed the culprit of the bruising on her face and body.

  “Those are hand and finger marks. Who the fuck would do this to such a little thing?” he said with a growl.

  “Take a deep breath, it helps.”

  “If I ever find the bastard, he’s fucking cow dung.”

  “I’ll need your help with this. I think she may have a couple of broken ribs.”

  “What?”

  “Shhh. You’ll wake her.”

  “I’m gonna give her a shot of something to help her with the pain and to sleep. That way, we can wrap her ribs and monitor her breathing. I’m pretty sure she didn’t puncture a lung. She would be in a lot worse shape.”